TiK ToK
"Tik Tok" (the working title for the track was "P Diddy", alternate titles are registered as "Tick Tock P Diddy", "Tick Tock", and "Zack Zack") is a song performed by Ke$ha. It serves as the second track on Ke$ha's debut album'' Animal. Background and development In 2005, Lukasz Gottwald had just finished producing tracks for Kelly Clarkson's album ''Breakaway and was looking to expand further on his writing and producing credits. Luke solicited around to different people in the music business asking for demos from unknown artists. Two of the demos he received were from Katy Perry and Ke$ha. He was particularly taken with Ke$ha's demos which consisted of a self-penned country ballad and trip-hop track. The latter of the demos caught Luke off guard when she ran out of lyrics and started to rap, "I'm a white girl/From the 'Ville/Nashville, bitch. Uhh. Uhhhhh." The improvisation made her stand out from other artists that Luke had listened to, which he recalled: "That's when I was like, 'OK, I like this girl's personality. When you're listening to 100 CDs, that kind of bravado and chutzpah stand out." Following this, at the age of eighteen, Ke$ha signed to Luke's label, Kemosabe Records, and his publishing company, Prescription Songs. After being signed to Luke's label she also signed to David Sonenberg's DAS management company. While at the label she worked with record producer Greg Wells, which she attributes to developing her sound on her first record, Animal. Although she was signed to Luke and his label, Ke$ha never took priority as he was busy with other projects at the time. It was not until 2008 when Luke was working with Flo Rida on "Right Round" that he pulled Ke$ha in to contribute, giving her the female hook. Within a few months the song became a worldwide number one. The event lead to different labels sparking interest in signing her, including RCA Records, to which she eventually signed. On April 30, 2009 Ke$ha tweeted Writing and recording "Tik Tok" was written by Ke$ha, alongside Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco and was co-produced by Luke and Blanco. Ke$ha said the inspiration behind the song came from coming home half-drunk and stumbling after a night out of partying. She would then write down a few words to a song, then the following morning she would wake up with the story waiting to be told. The opening line came from an experience where she woke up surrounded by "beautiful women", leading to her imagining P. Diddy being in a similar scenario. She then proceeded to bring the song to her producer Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco and the song was written. Four hours later, Diddy called Luke and said that they should do a song together. Diddy came to the studio later that day to contribute his lines and the collaboration was completed. While Ke$ha was in the studio with Dr. Luke and Blanco, she took three takes to get the song correct as she jokingly "white-girl rapped" over the beat. At one point in the song's production, she had wanted to re-write the verses of the song because she did not think that they were "funny or clever", feeling that they "kind of sucked." She elaborated, "I thought it was just another song, I thought it was just like all the other ones I'd written. I didn't even know if it was very good. I wanted to rewrite the verses, I didn't think it was funny or clever. I thought it kind of sucked. But everyone else liked it." Ke$ha ultimately did not end up rewriting any of the song's lyrics. She further described the theme of the song in an interview, emphasizing that it embodied her own lifestyle, Cross-references *The phrase "blow my speakers up" is also used in "Frenzy". Music video The music video premiered on November 14, 2009 on Ke$ha's YouTube. Background The music video for "TiK ToK" was directed by Syndrome. It was shot in Ke$ha's old neighborhood and the car featured in the video belongs to her. Ke$ha explained the experience saying, "the video I'm excited about because I actually got to shoot it in my old neighborhood and the guy driving my gold car is a friend of mine". The video's party scene was shot in her friend's house, which they refer to as the "drunk tank". The singer said "the last party scene is in this house called the drunk tank, which is one of my friend's houses that we all go party at. So I like it cause its super-honest and genuine." Synopsis 'Scene 1' The video starts with shots of Ke$ha sleeping in a bathtub and intercut with those of a party. tt1.png tt2.png tt3.png tt4.png tt5.png tt6.png tt7.png tt8.png tt9.png tt10.png tt11.png 'Scene 2' Shots of her making her way downstairs are intercut with those of her leaning against a yellow building. Her family is so terrified by her appearance that her mother drops a plate of food on the floor. With a shrug, Ke$ha makes her way out of the house. tt12.png tt13.png tt14.png tt15.png 'Scene 3' Her family follows her out of the house only for her to pick up a bike lying on the sidewalk and riding it away. She drives for a few seconds before she sees a small group of children listening to a boombox. She trades them the bike for the boombox and makes her way to a building see in previous shots. She listens to music until she is interrupted by a guy who is flirting with her. Shortly after her turning him down, a man (portrayed by Simon Rex) in a car pulls up. While at first she appears disgusted by his appearance, she leaves the boombox and hops in the passenger side of the car and they leave.. tt16.png tt17.png tt18.png tt19.png tt20.png tt21.png tt22.png tt23.png tt24.png tt25.png tt26.png tt27.png 'Scene 4' They are then seen driving while Ke$ha flirts with him. They are shortly pulled over by cops. Ke$ha is seen being bent over the car and cuffed. tt28.png tt29.png tt30.png 'Scene 5' Scenes of the pair driving again with one side of the handcuffs still cuffed to Ke$ha while she dances are intercut with scenes of Ke$ha back at the yellow building. tt31.png tt32.png tt33.png tt34.png 'Scene 6' Ke$ha is seen in a building dancing in an explosion of glitter. tt35.png tt36.png tt37.png tt38.png 'Scene 7' They make their way to the same party shown at the beginning of the video. She dances with her friends while glitter is falling on everyone. She then sits on a couch with Rex and another man (portrayed by Lukasz Gottwald) while Rex hugs her. tt39.png tt40.png tt41.png tt42.png 'Scene 8' Ke$ha is seen giggling in a bathtub covered in glitter before the video fades to black. tt43.png Lyrics References *ASCAP Work ID: 506366570 *BMI | Repertoire *HFA Song Code: T4707Q Category:Kesha Category:2009 Category:Singles Category:Music videos Category:Animal